Rotary sprinkler for lawns



Aug- 14, 1951 N. M. RIEGER ROTARY SPRINKLER FOR LAWNS Filed Nov. 8, 194e INVENTOR. /VH 50/1//14 @/Ef@ Patented Aug. 14, -1951 UNITED STATES PATENT LFFICE IMTIRY4v SPRINKLER; FORLAWN'S- NelsonM. RiegerMiamisburg,0hio, assignor toF The Rieger Manufacturing. Company, Miamis- Iburg,` Ohio, a" corporation of Ghi Application lNovember 8, 1946, Serial N o. 708,591u

fllains.` (GL 2994-69) This invention rela-tes: to fa rotary.v sprinkler` for lawnsandthe like.'

- Onev object-ofi the: inventionl is toV provide a sprinkler of asimple, freelyrunning construction.

AA further object of the-.invention'isto provide a` sprinkler inwhich the'rotatable head is supported. by. an: end thrust-bearing. and. hasI only.v a light: running.A contact with theV spindle.

. A.V furtherobject: of.v the: invention'. is to.A pro.- vide av sprinkler inrwhich` the weight of the ro tatable head. is. carriedby a single.. anti-friction element.

A .further object-of the-invention is to. provide a sprinkler` in whichwater pressure will relieve.

derstood that the sprinkler as a whole, aswell asV theseveral parts thereof, may take various forms without departing from. the spiritof the invention. 1 InA the embodiment. here shown the. sprinkler comprises a base 5 havingwithin the same` an inlet' chamber 6 anclhaving means whereby said chamber may-be connected with a source of water under pressure, such. asa threaded end por'- tionfl to receive the threaded .end of a hose cou.- pling member 8, The. base.- may. be. supportedl in any suitable manner, as by a stand 9; Mounted on thebase and' communicating with the inlet chamber is an upright tubular member, such as a spindle I0, screw threaded` into.l an opening in the top of the base and having an axial bore II which terminates a short'` distance'belW-:the-.top of the spindle. The spindle hasr acylindricai upper portionV I2Which; in the present.instance, is of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter ofithe'lower portion of th'espindle. This' upper portion isprovided with a circumferential channel,. or groove I3. which is connected bya plurality of substantially radialr ports I4 withltli'e bore or passage I'I Withinthe spindle. 1

Rotatably mountedY on the spindle is a head A receive' the i cylindricalportion of the spindle.

tion 15a;- The head is:,provided with a. cavity, thelower portion I6 oiwhii'shis;cylindricatto u, ance mythe. rotante artiiehead, and that the The cylindrical portion of.- the. cavity is of such diameterl with relation. to the upper portion of thespindle.` that it. hasv a. very light free running contact therewith. The cavity extends above'lthe end. oi'Y the spindle, and. the upper portion thereof is preferably of reduced diameter and is shownr at- I'I assubstantiallyr conical.Y in form, the upperend of= the conical. cavity being preferably arcuate.. tol provide.- av bearing seat. Interposedbetween the/upper endof the spindle andthe upper. end of. the cavity Il is. a bearing member. which `is/preferably rotatable and` is here shown. as aspherical element or ball I8 which rests. upontheuppenend ofv the. spindle and has normal bearing contactwitl'.v the bearing seat in the upper portion of.v the. head.` The conical shape. of. thecavity. Ilretains the bearing mem'- 'ber substantially. the axis of'the spindle, which is alsoY the.V axisof.l rotation ofr the head.' Means areprovided-for retainingthe head on the spin;- dle andV limiting. thev upward movement thereof with. relationto thev spindle. In the present inistance. thismeahs comprises a snapring" I 9 seated inthe lower portion of "the headandext'ending beneaththe. shoulder formed by the lower end of. the.cylindriealportion lz'of the' spindle. Pref'- erlablyrtheretaining means is'. spaced from the shoulder.. a distance suiicient' tov permit' aslight upward.V movement of "the head1 `The' head is provided with' one" 'or' more' discharge. passages: 2U; in the present instance two; whichlcommunicate. with the channel I3'in the spindle.- Obviously4 the.4 channel could be' formed inthehead'insteadof inthe spindle. Mounted onithe head and lcommunicating with the respecl tive. discharge. passages 2U are tubular discharge elements or arms 2l having in their outer por tions. outlets so.4 arranged.' that the Water dischargedtherefrom.willreact on the arms to impartrotarymovementto the head. In thepresent. constructioneach arm has at its outerv end' a` tapered-,nozzle 22'. provided4T with a relatively small. axial opening 2'3` and with' a' radial slot 24 sofarrangedastb. provide the reaction necessary tatherot'a'tion o'f tlelheadl A v'iVater under pressure entering; th'e` tubular spindlawillpassfthrough the ports I4; channel I3, anddischarge openings 2'0 toth'e' reaction armsv 2|,..andf thus impart rotation to the head'. The weightY of the headb'ein'g .supported wholly by the bearing. element' I8J and` the headl having only a obviousthat there" is verylittl frictional resistreducing, and preferably eliminating, the frictional resistance to the rotation ofthe head. The

upper portion of the head is provided with one or more small outlets 25 through which the water may escape from the cavity l1 and will be distributed over that portion of the lawn below the inner portions of the reaction arms. j

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understoodthat I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur .to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A spraying device for a lawn sprinkler of the type having a ground engaging base including an inlet chamber having an opening in the upper wall thereof, said device comprising a spindle having a cylindrical upper portion, said spindle having at its lower end a part spaced from said cylindrical portion and adapted to be mounted in the opening in the wall of said-inlet chamber, and also having an axial bore extending through the lower end thereof and terminating below the upper end thereof, said cylindrical portion of said spindle having a series of substantially radial ports communicating with said bore, a head rotatably mounted on said spindle and having a body provided with a cavity including a lower cylindrical portion in which the cylindrical portion of said spindle is mounted and an upper portion of progressively decreasing diameter from said cylindrical portion to the upper end of said cavity and terminating in an arcuate seat, said body having a plurality of discharge openings communicating with the lports in said spindle, and a freely rotatable ball supported on the upper end of said spindle andnormally engaging said seat in said head, said head having light running contact with said spindle above said ports to permit water under pressure to pass between said parts into the upper portion of said cavity and exert upward pressure on said head to relieve said ball of at least a portion of the weight of said head, said spindle and said head having cooperating parts to limit the upward movement of said head with relation to said spindle.

2. A spraying device for a lawn sprinkler of the type having a ground engaging base including an inlet chamber having an opening in the upper wall thereof, said device comprising a spindle having a cylindrical upper portion and a lower portion of less diameter than said cylindrical portion, and having a at top surface, said spindle having at its lower end a part spaced from said cylindrical portion and adapted to be mounted in the opening in the wall of said inlet chamberand also having an axial bore extending through the lower end thereof and terminating below thev upper end thereof, said cylindrical portion of said spindle having a series of substantially radial ports communicating with said bore, a one-piece head rotatably mounted on saidspindle and comprising a body extending slightly' below the cylin= 4 l drical portion of said spindle and having therein a cavity including a lower cylindrical portion in which the cylindrical portion of said spindle is mounted and an upper portion of progressively decreasing diameter terminating in an arcuate seat, said body having a plurality of discharge openings lcommunicating with the ports in said spindle, and a freely rotatable ball supported on the flat top surface of said spindle and normally engaging Said seat in said head, said ball being of a diameter less than the diameter of said arcuate seat, said head having light running contact with said spindle above said ports to permit water under pressure to pass between said parts into the upper portion of said cavity and exert upward presv'sure on said head to relieve said ball of at least za portion of said 'weight of said head, and a retaining member removably mounted on said head below and normally spaced from said cylindrical portion of said spindle vto engage the latter and limit the upward movement of said head.

3. A spraying device for a lawn sprinkler of the type having a ground engaging base including an inlet chamber having an opening in the upper Wall thereof, said device comprising a spindle having a cylindrical upper portion, said spindle having at its lower end a part spaced from said cylindrical portion and adapted to be mounted in the opening in the wall of said inlet chamber, and also having an axial bore extending through the lower end thereof and terminating below the upper end thereof, said cylindrical portion of said spindle having a series of substantially radial ports communicating with said bore, a head rotatably mounted on said spindle and having a body provided with a cavity including a lower cylindrical portion in which the cylindrical portion of said spindle is mounted and an upper portion of progressively decreasing diameter from said cylindrical portion to the upper end of said cavity and terminating in an arcuate seat, saidI body having a plurality of discharge openings communicating with the ports in said spindle, and a freely rotatable ball supported on the upper end of said spindle and normally engaging said seat in said head, said head having light running contact with said spindle above said ports to permit water under pressure Yto pass between said parts into the upper portion of said cavity and exert upward pressure on said head to relieve said ball of at least a portion of the weight of said head, said spindle and said head having cooperating parts to limit the upward movement of said head with relation to said spindle, and said head having small openings communicating with said cavity above said spindle through which a portion only of the water entering the upper portion of said cavity is discharged.

NELSON M. RIEGER.

REFERENCES CITED .l The following references are of 'record in the file of thisA pait'enix'v UNITED -STATES PATENTS Number VNaine l Date 567,916 Newell Sept. 15, 1896 600,198 Gorter Mar. 8, 1898 1,831,540 Nelson Nov. 10, 1931l 2,051,287 Buckner Aug, 18, 1936 2,231,422 Hoffman Feb. 11, 1941 Y FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date.

512,679 l Francegn Oct. 20, 1920` 

